wet wipes on a newborn?

DH is asking why I don't want to use wet wipes on our newborn. I can't actually find anything online as to why they are not recommended, nir any official advice, but I was thinking cotton wool and water only for the first month? THe wipes we have are sensitive unfragranced and say they are suitable for newborns.... Is this true?

You don't need to boil wash them, just wash at 60 and any germs will be killed. Just stick them in with the rest of the baby's clothes and bedding, they've probably got any germs in them that wipes would have. It's just poo you know, it 's not nuclear waste, it washes out.

Cotton wool and water for DD1. Used Pampers Sensitive to deal with the black poo and her bottom was livid within hours. I felt terrible, she was literally levitating off the changing mat with every change of nappy. She was sensitive to any kind after that until we discovered Water Wipes. DD2 was WW from birth with no reaction though I did use cotton wool and water in the hospital. Ikea do light flannels which are great for general hand and face wiping and I agree with hoochy, it's mad to use disposables at home for those purposes. Generally though I wouldn't bother with reusable wipes for the bottom area as it would take far too long to put together enough for a boil wash. With reusable nappies too, yes but otherwise it would just take too long.

No problem, glad to be of service. My sympathy to you, SPD is awful, I had it too with my youngest. Hope you feel better soon x

It really is very little extra work though if you put your washable wipes in a delicates bag when they are dirty. It 's a pain in the arse if you don't thoug, get the wee fuckers all over the shop and have to deprecate them from your other washing and it's most annoying . Strangely it took me a baby to realise that you don't need to dry them! What a fanny, with my PFB I was forever pegging tiny cloths on the line and finding them down the back of radiators. I blame sleep deprivation!

Nowadays I always carry s couple of flannels about with me too, and when babies or messy kids need wiping the get wiped with that. It's easy enough to get hot water from a sink somewhere, or even ask for a cup of hot water in a cafe. Or even just have a wee bottle of cold on you. Drives me mad seeing people using half a packet of wet wipes to wipe their kids in cafes. Worse still, I 've seen folk do it in their own houses. When sat at kitchen tables a couple of feet away from sinks. Or in bathrooms next to showers! I just don 't understand why anyone would need to routinely use wet wipes at home. How can you be do foolish and irresponsible to not realise how lucky your are to have access to instant hot water to keep your children clean, and instead chose to waste money and make rubbish! Crazy! If my kids are dirty they get washed, not wiped with chemicals!

Hooochy you made a good point, I was all up for doing that exact thing, but from 5 months pregnant till now 3 month old baby, all my ligaments turned to chewing gum and things like extra washing and slightly faffing were well off my radar, picking my baby up without crying in pain were my main priority. But you are right you have given me a kick up the ass to get back to what I planned in the first place.

I think cotton wool and cooled boiled water is only ever something that new mothers do with their firstborn. After a couple of weeks farting about with poncey bowls that get kicked over by a wriggly baby they come to their senses switch to 'naice' wetwipes like the rest of the world.

I agree with hoochycoo about the environmental aspect, have only used cotton wool so far and i don't find it a faff at all and the cotton wool absorbs poo way better than wipes! Only downside of cotton wool is the plastic bags it comes in plus lots of pesticides used to grow cotton. I got some very cheap towels to chop up to make flannels when i get round to it. Can use them once and chuck in the wash with the nappies, saves money and very easy!

I used cotton wool pads with water for maybe first 3 months with my 3 (family history of eczema). I found they just worked better to be honest. Wouldn't dream of using balls, would take an age, but Superdrug and Tesco both do large square or rectangular pads that I bought on offer.

Surprised that no one has mentioned the environmental aspect if wet wipes? They don't break down you know, the are making tonnes of rubbish, just for your convenience.

An easy easy way to not use wet wipes, chop up some old flannels, towels, a fleece blanket or something. Get an old ice cream tub, or Tupperware or such like, pour boiling water in it and a drop of tea tree oil and put the cut up towel in there. Use them to clean babies bum. When dirty put in a delicates bag . When delicates bag full bung in washing machine. Then you don't even have to dry them, just put them back in the Tupperware! If you're out and about, bung some in a sandwhich bag and take a sand which bag with you for the dirty ones. You can even make up a gentle wah solution out of camomile tea, olive oil and tea tree if you like. Or you could not bother and just stick to water.

Pisses me off that people use wet wipes all the time when a cloth, flannel or a quick duck in the sink would do. Think of the mess you create rather than you 're conscience.

I got a big box of water wipes from amazon when I was pregnant and have used them for 3 months, I got more in boots 3 for 2 offer.If you get them from amazon a tip, make sure the delivery driver brings them in the house not dumps them on the front step thrusts the thing to sign and walks off, as you will be left standing looking at the very heavy box and not be able to lift it.

I am going to be using huggies pure water wipes (12 packs for £10 at Asda). I have had 2 previous cs so getting to water all the time was hard work and these were the next best thing. Huggies pure have no scent whatsoever and are great, both my dc have suffered with eczema and these were fine for them